1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control system for imparting omnidirectional movement to a jet vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL) aircraft and hover craft utilizing jet propulsion the necessity of establishing controls to accomplish directional movement, power thrust and related activities the pilot or operator is burdened with an inordinate number of feet and hand activities including other monitoring and vehicle control functions.
There have been various attempts to develop simplified single hand control means to control the attitude of a vehicle moving or directing movement through a fluid medium wherein the pilot or operator can maintain a freedom of other limbs for other critical functions of the vehicle.
One such control means is setforth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,956 ('956) which is directed to a single handle that includes a hand operated device to control rotational movement about three axes and translational movement along the same three axes. The disadvantage of the '956 patent is that there are three frames within one another to translate the handle movement. Such control is cumbersome particularly with the plurality of gimbals necessary to accomplish the movement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,751 a plurality of jet nozzles are illustrated wherein one is tied to the next by tie rods requiring a number of connections when there are a number of jet nozzle which can easily malfunction causing no simultaneous movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,469 discloses a selsyn control system which again has limited use and the nozzles are fixed and not directionally controlled.
Other prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,654 discloses a single lever and a form of nozzle control, however, the nozzles are to receive air not exhaust and further the control does not include acceleration control means for the jet ducts. U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,417 while illustrating a single control arm only utilizes the same to control the discharge of gas from peripheral discharge members and not the adjustment of nozzles.